100. A Rose In Jeopardy by Barbara Cartland

longingly of Aunt Beatrice. She had missed her terribly, but never so much as at this moment.
    And for the first time in a long while, she missed her Mama and her Papa, whom she had so few memories of, only their loving voices and the embrace of their arms.
    She clung onto herself desperately.
    If only there was someone in the world to hold her, to care for her and speak gentle kind words –
    Suddenly she felt that someone was watching her, and she looked up to see the portrait of the young man in the turban hanging on the wall above her.
    “Why are you smiling?” she asked him. “Look at me. I am in such despair!”
    Her tears welled up in her eyes once again, but then she realised that his smile was not mocking but bold and happy.
    His bright dark eyes seemed to be comforting and encouraging her.
    “ I care for you – ” he was almost saying.
    Then Rosella remembered all the times that she had fallen down and hurt herself as a child.
    Aunt Beatrice had always picked her up, comforted her and smiled in a bright and encouraging way, so that she would quickly feel much better and carry on playing.
    She gave a last great sob and stopped crying.
    ‘That is what I must do,’ she whispered to herself. ‘I must pick myself up and keep going.’
    For dear Aunt Beatrice had left her something that might help her, if only she could escape.
    Rosella went to her dressing table and checked that the silver mesh bag with the coins inside was still there.
    Then she went to the window.
    Lord Brockley had not locked it and, if she used her sheets and bedcovers, she would be able to let herself down onto the orangery roof.
    And surely from there it would be possible to jump down to the ground.
    But then she would have to wait until everyone was asleep.

CHAPTER SIX
    The rain fell all through the long afternoon and it was still pattering against the windows and splashing down the gutters when Algernon came to Rosella’s room again.
    This time he was not in such a sprightly mood as when he had first proposed to her in the study.
    “You had better say you will marry me,” he said in a petulant tone, “or you will have no dinner.”
    “I cannot,” she replied and took hold of the chair that stood by her dressing table and held it between them, so that he could not come near her.
    Algernon shook his head.
    “It’s the best offer you will ever get – seeing as you have no fortune and no prospects. And there’s a delicious roast goose for dinner!”
    Rosella thought that she would be sick if she had to even look at the rich greasy meat of roast goose, let alone eat it.
    “Don’t be a silly girl,” Algernon was saying. “I’ve been in love with so many pretty young things and none of them have I asked to become Mrs. Merriman! Just think of that. Doesn’t it make you feel proud?”
    He then smiled at Rosella and twirled the end of his moustache with a plump finger. She gave a deep shudder of revulsion, she could not help it.
    He saw the shudder and his round face creased into a scowl.
    “There’s no need to look like that. You should be counting your blessings, young lady, and being very nice to someone who only has your best interests at heart.”
    Rosella gripped the back of the chair tightly. He was coming towards her now.
    “Perhaps you are not such a sweet little thing after all,” he asserted. “Perhaps I shall have to try a different approach to bring you to heel!”
    In the next instant he had pulled the chair out of her hands and thrown it aside.
    He grabbed Rosella’s waist and there was a crash of silver-topped bottles falling over as he flung her against the dressing table mirror.
    “Oh, how divine!” he grunted, pressing his heavy body against her.
    She felt his hot breath on her face and then, to her horror, his hot lips fumbling at her cheek, trying to find her mouth.
    “How delicious you are, you wilful little creature,” he sighed.
    Now he was touching her hair and her face with his thick